WINTER WONDERLAND

Have you ever shoveled snow after a snowstorm? Most people try to remove snow. But in February, in Sapporo, Japan, trucks actually bring snow into the city! People shovel the snow into large piles, and these piles of snow become outdoor cafes, concert stages, and beautiful sculptures.

Artists from all over the world come to Sapporo’s Snow Festival to participate in the annual sculpture competition. But the sculptures aren’t made of stone, metal, or wood—they are made of snow and ice! Artists with teams of helpers sometimes work 11 or 12 hours a day to make amazing sculpture. Many of the sculptures are huge and very detailed. During the day, the sculptures shine in the winter sun. At night, colorful lights shine on them. Millions of people go to see them every year.

The Snow Festival has not always been so popular. It started in the 1950 as something very small. People in Sapporo wanted to go outside and have fun during the long, boring winter, so the city held a one-day fair in a park. People listened to music and danced. They watched movies and dog race. But some high school students had a great idea and built six large snow sculptures. They were interesting—they weren’t just regular snowmen. People really liked the sculptures, and the Snow Festival was born.

Five years later, soldiers from a nearby military base brought tons of snow into the city. They made the snow into large blocks and used ladders to build huge sculptures. These sculptures were amazing, and the small festival turned into an international event.

More than 60 years have passed. Today, the festival is seven days long. Every year, millions of people wear their warmest coats and go outside to celebrate the snow!

Answer the questions about Winter Wonderland.

1. What is the article mainly about?

a.   snow sculptures b. Sapporo, Japan  c. the Snow Festival  d. Japanese snowmen

2.   What does “them” main in line 9?

a.   sculptures   b.  lights c. people    d. sun

3.   What can we infer about Sapporo, Japan?

a.   Many artists live there  b. It has many festivals

c. It is very cold in winter  d. There are many snow festivals in the world

4.   What do you think the sentence “They were interesting—they weren’t just regular snowman.” means (line 15)?

a.   Most people hate snowmen.

b.   Snowmen are not very interesting.

c.   The sculptures were good, but snowmen are better.

d.   The sculptures are as good as snowmen.

5.   How has the Snow Festival changed?

a.   It now takes place in the city.

b.   Soldiers do not participate these days.

c.   The festival is bigger and more popular.

d.   The Snow Festival has more activities.

Background information

札幌冰雪节(Snowing Festival) 是日本北海道札幌市的传统节日。始于1950年，在每年最冷、雪最多的2月的第一个星期举行，到星期日为止，为期5天。

众所周知，北海道的人民有近半年的时间在冰雪覆盖的世界里生活。那里年降雪量为四米多，一进入漫长的冬季，人们就似昆虫入蜇一样，整日憋在房间里，人们多想到户外活动活动。札幌市政府理解大家的心情，设法满足人民的夙愿，改造单调的冬季生活，决定努力开辟北方城市的观光事业。冰雪节举办以前在北海道就有“雪站会”（有数万人参加的骑马站，相互争夺对方的雪城）、“冰上狂欢节”和“学校雪像展”，在此基础上，决定在最冷、雪最多的二月初，由札幌市有关单位共同组成札幌雪节实行委员会，由该组织主办札幌冰雪节，号召市民、教师、学生走出房门，自己动手雕刻雪人、雪物、雪像，用自己的智慧和劳动丰富市民的生活。1950年第一届札幌冰雪节一举成功，收到了意想不到好效果，博得了群众的欢迎和支持。从此，决定每年举办一次冰雪节。

Do you know how many Snow Festivals there are in the world?

A.     1

B.     2

C.     3

D.     4

                                                       (Key:D)

日本札幌冰雪节与中国·哈尔滨国际冰雪节、加拿大魁北克冬季狂欢节和挪威奥斯陆滑雪节并成世界四大冰雪节

Vocabulary:

sculpture 雕塑

military base军事基地

international event 国际事件

regular 普通的，平常的

English Slang:

A timely snow promises a good harvest. 瑞雪兆丰年。

Comprehension key:

1 c 整篇文章介绍的日本的札幌冰雪节。

2 a 此时的them指的应该是sculptures。

3 c 札幌在冬季的时候能够举办冰雪节，说明这里的冬天肯定很冷。因此答案为c。

4 b 从这句话可以推出，sculptures比较有意思，而普通的雪人比较无趣。

5 c 从文章的最后一段可以看出，札幌冰雪节持续的时间更长，规模更大，参与的人更多，更受欢迎。